


Doubly Fascinating

by Nomad (nomadicwriter)



Category: Alias, Star Trek: 2009
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-06-12
Updated: 2009-06-12
Packaged: 2017-10-06 07:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nomadicwriter/pseuds/Nomad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Spock and Jack Bristow play chess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Doubly Fascinating

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yahtzee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yahtzee/gifts).



** Spoilers: ** Only the most basic for both sources.  
** Disclaimer: ** Characters, settings and concepts belong to Paramount, J.J. Abrams and many others; borrowed for entertainment value, not profit.

* * *

James T. Kirk had been supplanted, and he didn't like it. He pouted unhappily at the stranger sitting across the chess board from his First Officer.

"Who _is_ that guy?" he asked Uhura.

"His name is Jack Bristow," she said. "He's with Starfleet Intelligence. He's part of a team investigating the aftereffects of the use of red matter."

It probably wasn't very reasonable to hold Bristow personally responsible for the fact that the _Enterprise_ had been detailed to transport a group of scientific gawkers to the haunting expanse of space that had once been the planet Vulcan. But since Spock was being maddeningly stoical about the issue, Kirk considered it his sworn duty to bring some healthy irrationality to the table.

"What does a science team need with Intelligence?" he asked.

Uhura gave him a raised eyebrow worthy of Spock, but thankfully forbore from commenting. Probably mostly in hopes of getting him to shut up and go away faster, but he considered that a vindication of his command style.

"Apparently there are concerns that a group of terrorists may attempt to analyse and reconstruct the red matter from the sensor residue. Bristow is their top game theorist and an expert on the group in question."

Well, that explained how he was managing to go toe-to-toe with Spock on the chess board. Kirk frowned. "What group?"

"It's classified."

"I'm the captain!" he protested.

Uhura rolled her eyes. "There are higher ranks than captain, _Captain_."

"Not on this ship!" Kirk folded his arms.

He turned his attention back to the chess match. It was being conducted in utter silence, which was not the way one played against Spock at all. There should be a verbal barrage to supplement the tactical assault, full of colourful metaphors and non sequiturs and attempts to get Spock to make that millimetre lift of his eyebrow that was the Vulcan equivalent of an exasperated eyeroll.

Kirk wasn't entirely convinced that Bristow wasn't part Vulcan himself. He was an extremely composed man somewhere in his mid-fifties, in a sombre grey suit instead of a Starfleet uniform. As Spock made what was apparently an impressive move he tilted his head slightly to one side and raised an admiring eyebrow. Chekov, who was watching from the sidelines, leaned forward to study the board raptly.

Bristow's next move caused Spock to hesitate the way he did when Kirk threw something completely random and counterintuitive into the mix, before finally moving his queen. Bristow immediately countered by shifting one of his knights.

To Kirk's eyes the match was still a long way from over, but Spock assessed the board layout for only a matter of seconds before reaching out to tip over his king.

"Fascinating," he said, in the tone that said he truly meant it. Bristow gave him a small nod of acknowledgement, face still impassive. Chekov and his fellow chess nerds all sighed in appreciation.

Kirk decided right then and there that he wanted Bristow off of his ship, yesterday.

**End**


End file.
